what is the best camcorder out there

[tinksgilrs251520]

I want to take our video recorder and my digital camera into the parks but all the tapes that are out there only supply 1 hour are there any other tapes that will give me longer running times ? This is my first time wanting to take it on vacation any tips would help

 

[ElementCamper]

Good question but need information before you can be assisted.

Regarding your current camera, what kind of tapes does it use? 8mm, VHS, etc? There are many kinds of tapes and depending on what you use longer lengths may be available. You can now record directly to DVD's, buy in bulk and they are less then .25 each. You can also record to lots of formats of memory cards and sticks.

How old is your current camcorder? Technology moves very quickly now, there are some terrific cameras out there now if you have an old one and are looking to replace it.

If replacing your camera, what's your budget? HiDef cameras are starting to get really inexpensive now.

I use my Olympus digital camera, it shoots videos that can be downloaded to my laptop and then edited with readily available software to be put on DVD's that can be sent to friends and watched on regular DVD players.

Help us narrow down your request and you will get lots of opinions on this. Enjoy your trip!

 

[carlbarry]

Mini DV cassettes are almost all 60 minutes, but record for 90 minutes in LP mode, which unlike analog recording, causes no loss in quality.
However, your question is which is the "best" camcorder. So first, the best quality camcorders are Hi Definition, or Hi Def. These are available with built in hard drives, memory cards, or Mini DV. Usually, because of the compression required to record on the hard drives or memory cards, the image will not be as good as on a camcorder that uses Mini DV.
As mentioned above, there are also camcorders that record on mini DVDs. However, this seems to be a dying medium, as the mini DVDs are very pricey, don't deliver the highest quality picture, and otherwise limit your options.
The next step up is camcorders that use 3 CCD imaging. They will give you better color saturation and better low light ability than a 1 CCD camcorder. However, they tend to be expensive.
Since you mention that you can record for "only 60 minutes," I suspect you are using an old analog camcorder. Any digital model you buy will give you a great improvement in quality. Also, with a good computer and good editing software, you can do a real professional production. Just be aware that once you burn your digital camcorder production to DVD, the quality will not be as good as the original tape. Nor will it be high-def unless you spend big bucks on a Blue Ray DVD burner.

 

[tutter99]

If I can offer my two cents, it really depends on how much you are going to use it. I bought a nice JCV DV before my son was born and it was great when I used it but there is one problem, even compact camcorders are a pain to deal with, so more often then not I left it at home or in the room because I didn't want to carry around my camera and the bag for the video camera.

I bought a Flip camera last year and loved it, enough so that this year before we went to Disney I upgraded to the HD version that holds 2 hours of video. It works great for parades and character greets and even took decent quality video in the dim light of Festival of the Lion King and Nemo. The best things about it are that it is about the size of 2 Snickers bars side by side so it fits in your pocket, plugs directly into a USB port on your computer or laptop, and runs for hours and hours on 2 AA batteries. I don't go anywhere without it now and have hours of video I wouldn't have taken if I had to think about bringing the camera bag with me.

Think about what your going to use the video for, I have come to the conclusion that nothing I shot with the JVC will be on Network TV anytime soon and no-one outside of immediate family even remotely cares about anything someone else shoots on a video camera (no matter how interesting the person who shot it feels it was). So even if it isn't the perfect quality, it probably won't matter, my favorite movies to watch are grainy old 8mm my dad shot when I was little.

 

[carlbarry]

There is certainly a lot of validity to the above. However, as someone who took 8mm home movies, and then switched to a 20 pound "portable" VHS recorder cabled to a 10 pound camera, then moved to an S-VHS camcorder, and now 3 ccd DV camcorder, I know that the early stuff looks real bad on a big screen TV. My feeling always was to shoot the best quality practicable, as the footage was meant to endure a lifetime. If you're shooting a 3 year old now, by the time he is 30, he will be watching his memories on a hi def 50 inch screen. And believe me, if the footage looks only so-so now, it will look REAL bad on a 2040 TV.

 

[tutter99]

There is certainly a lot of validity to the above. However, as someone who took 8mm home movies, and then switched to a 20 pound "portable" VHS recorder cabled to a 10 pound camera, then moved to an S-VHS camcorder, and now 3 ccd DV camcorder, I know that the early stuff looks real bad on a big screen TV. My feeling always was to shoot the best quality practicable, as the footage was meant to endure a lifetime. If you're shooting a 3 year old now, by the time he is 30, he will be watching his memories on a hi def 50 inch screen. And believe me, if the footage looks only so-so now, it will look REAL bad on a 2040 TV.

True, but just about anything now will look bad in 25-30 years. I can hear it now, his kids asking him "why does the video look all funny?", and the reply "when I was young the video cameras didn't shoot in 3d."

Don't get me wrong, for weddings and special events that are long I still pull out the JVC and the tripod but for capturing quick things I use the flip. The resolution actually looks pretty good on my 42 inch HD set, the output is 16:9 widescreen, HD 720p (1280 x 720) at 30 frames per second (fps) progressive scan.

 

[Debbie-TN]

tutter99 -

What brand did you buy? I also have a JVC, but I would like to have a small one also. It's amazing how far video cameras have come over the the years. I started with an RCA that I had to carry on my shoulder, then went to a Sharp, then the JVC. Now I want small enough to carry in my pocket.

 

[nedac]

My .02

I had a $900 JVC Everio 30GB Hard Drive camcorder that I recently sold on ebay. I got my $150 Flip Mino and I am completely sold. The quality is sufficient for home movies, its super light (I often carry it on a lanyard around my neck) and there is no fuss with auto focusing and all that garbage. Thats all I need and if I lose it or break it, its relatively inexpensive to replace.

 

[tutter99]

tutter99 -

What brand did you buy? I also have a JVC, but I would like to have a small one also. It's amazing how far video cameras have come over the the years. I started with an RCA that I had to carry on my shoulder, then went to a Sharp, then the JVC. Now I want small enough to carry in my pocket.

I have the Flip Ultra HD. I picked it up on a price mistake on Amazon a few months ago. Prior to that I had a regular 30 minute one so now I use that one with a waterproof case for snorkelling and playing around in the pool. Thats the other cool thing about them, I know they aren't exactly cheap but I tend to pull them out in places I never would have pulled out my JVC. On the last trip I recorded Expedition Everest.